Bangladesh is a South Asian country situated by the Indian Ocean and surrounded by India. It is a country where the region’s rivers intertwine, making agriculture in the country predominant. As a middle-income economy, Bangladesh has been keeping up with its peers in the region in terms of the standards of living, sometimes overtaking them.
Even if a lot of Bangladeshis look to pursue higher studies overseas, international students can still find quality education from its various universities, especially in the capital Dhaka. Here, we will be looking at some of the best scholarships in Bangladesh for international students.
Related Scholarships
Living Costs in Bangladesh for International Students
Living in Bangladesh will not break the bank as the country has a very manageable cost of living. Whether the student opts for the university dormitory life or the off-campus life, having around 30000 BDT ($300) monthly will already get them through the month comfortably. This includes food and housekeeping expenses ($200), transport ($20), and mobile ($10), among others.
Can International Students Work in Bangladesh?
Despite low tuition fees in Bangladesh, students still opt to have part-time work during their stay in university, and this includes international students. These part-time jobs are in the form of internships which may help the student get extra credits for their degree and extra points for their resumes. This will require the appropriate work permit since foreigners are not allowed to work without a work visa.
Top Universities in Bangladesh
Most of the top universities in Bangladesh are in the capital Dhaka. These include the University of Dhaka and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, among others in the city. Other top universities include Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in the financial center Mymensingh, Rajshahi University in Rajshahi, Jahangirnagar University in Savar, and the Islamic University in Kushtia.
Best Scholarships in Bangladesh
1. BRAC Needs-based Scholarship
Dhaka has numerous public and private universities since it is the capital city of Bangladesh. One of those is the private research university BRAC University, which consistently ranks high in the best universities of Bangladesh. As mentioned in the scholarship name, students who need financial assistance are considered for the scholarships.
BRAC Needs-based Scholarship is a fully funded scholarship in Bangladesh for international students: full tuition and living costs will be provided to the chosen students of the scholarship. They will only need to obtain a CGPA of 3.25 throughout the program to maintain the scholarship, else this will be discontinued. For the whole program, international students from developing and SAARC countries are expected to pay around 80000 BDT, and twice this for students from developed countries.
2. BracU Merit Scholarship
Another scholarship from BRAC University is its Merit Scholarship. For this scholarship in Bangladesh, the academic grades of the students will consistently be checked to determine what type of scholarship will be provided. The scholarship to be provided is only tenable for the semester, as follows:
- CGPA of 3.80 to 3.84: 10% tuition fee waiver
- CGPA of 3.85 to 3.89: 25% tuition fee waiver
- CGPA of 3.90 to 3.94: 50% tuition fee waiver
- CGPA of 3.95 to 3.99: 75% tuition fee waiver
- CGPA of 4.00: 100% tuition fee waiver
As shown above, only those with high CGPAs are considered for the scholarship.
3. Daffodil International University Scholarship
Another university in the capital Dhaka provides various scholarships and tuition fee waivers to its students, and international students are part of the list. The Daffodil International University is a private university in Dhaka and has around 500 international students taking up various programs. The university has also provided dormitories and university buses to aid in the life of its students and to ensure convenience and security.
For international students interested in taking up their master’s degrees in DIU, the university also has a dedicated scholarship assigned for them. This is highly dependent on the student’s undergraduate marks, and only a maximum of 50% tuition fee waiver can be provided.
For students with a CGPA of 3.50 to 3.74, they are entitled to a 30% tuition fee waiver. For students with a CGPA of 3.75 to 4.00, they are eligible for a 50% tuition fee waiver. They need to obtain an SGPA of 3.00 and 3.25, respectively, to maintain the scholarship. Total program degrees for master’s students in the university can cost around 150000 BDT (US $1800).
4. DUO-Sweden Fellowship Programme
The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an international initiative that aims to develop exchanges that are educational in the European and Asian continents. Sweden, one of the Scandinavian countries in Europe, is one of the countries where the ASEM has established a fellowship program with participating Asian countries, one of which is Bangladesh.
The fellowship program works as an exchange program wherein a Swedish educational institution and an Asian educational institution (in this case, any Bangladeshi institution) have formed an arrangement. One student each from Sweden and Bangladesh shall be approved by the receiving educational institutions.
Within the one-semester duration of the scholarship, the chosen student from Sweden will study in Bangladesh full-time. This means they will study for 4 months and will be provided €3000 while the Bangladeshi student will receive €4000. Only the Swedish institution can apply to the fellowship program for both students, hence, cooperation is necessary. The fellowship can be used for tuition, travel, and accommodation expenses.
5. Asian University for Women Scholarships
The Asian University of Women (AUW) is located in the eastern port city of Chittagong. To educate women into skilled professionals in their societies, the AUW has established a scholarship that will help attract various women in specific countries to be able to hone their talents and skills especially in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.
This blends well with the growing international community in the city of Chittagong. Under the university’s charter, around a quarter (25%) of students should come from Bangladesh. In turn, the remaining percentage comes from the different regions in Asia such as West Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, particularly Hong Kong. They should only need to fulfill some eligibility requirements such as being a leader in their careers towards positive social change, among others.
If a student is accepted for this full scholarship in Bangladesh, she will be able to receive a tuition fee waiver, academic fees, healthcare, accommodation fees, and travel expenses. As a student of AUW, a student is expected to pay around $15000, broken down as follows: tuition fee worth $9000, academic expenses worth $3000, and accommodation fees worth around $3000. Women interested in taking up undergraduate studies in bioinformatics, economics, environmental studies, public health, and English language programs will find applying for this scholarship worth the shot.
